Fear of the Future
by DreamVolt9
Summary: Heavily pregnant Felicia won't get out of bed and Corrin feels helpless in the face of a battle that he cannot fight. Both plagued with anxiety, the biggest test of their relationship emerges. One-shot.


**Yo! We didn't get to see much how the parents of Fates truly felt about having children, so I thought I'd try to fill in one of those gaps with this piece. If anything else, I hope it proves that the prospect of having a child is not an easy matter even for the kindest and most enthusiastic of people.**

Fighting for his life on the battlefield was nothing compared to this. Felicia was heavily pregnant, and her belly had swelled massively.

"Is there anything I can get you, honey?" Corrin asked. It was probably the fourth time today, and at any other time during their life Felicia would be the one asking that question at Corrin's beck and call. But now, ironically, the prince was serving the maid.

"I'm alright…" She said quietly, her head turned to look out the window, her head rested on the pillow. A ray of evening sun shone on her tired face. "Well, actually… Could you refill my glass with water?" She grasped the glass on the nightstand. Just as she was to hand it over, she lost her grip and it fell to the floor and shattered into pieces. Glass flew across the floor. Corrin tried to hide his wincing. "Oops. I'm-I'm sorry…"

"That's okay! I'll sweep this up real quick and get you a new one. Just relax." He had to have enough enthusiasm for the both of them. She'd become more and more bedridden as her pregnancy progressed, in what Corrin hoped was something normal. That still didn't prevent Felicia from breaking things and causing a mess with her clumsiness however, as the broken glass on the floor could convey. Being responsible for her basic needs was tiring on him too. His hair was disheveled and his feet ached with every step. "After this I'll have egg sandwiches ready for dinner and peaches, your favorite, for dessert." He said. _Just be like Jakob. Just be like Jakob. Just be like Jakob… without the 'being mean to her' part._ He thought.

"That's nice. Thank you." She said with a small smile that, unlike her, seemed forced.

Corrin noticed it, and he could notice that his wife was uneasy for a while now. But something always stopped him from bringing it up. "Okay, I'll be right back." He said with an earnest smile hoping that an easygoing attitude would cheer her up. He swept up the broken shards and got her a fresh glass of water. Then he ran to the kitchen to get the cook-stove ready for the eggs. He burned them badly and when he made the sandwiches the yolk was running off the bread onto the plate. He frowned but didn't fret a whole lot. The person he was cooking for had low standards to begin with considering her own ineptitude at preparing food.

"It's so sweet of you to cook for me," Felicia said in a soft voice, nibbling at the bread.

"I'm sorry I can't do much other than sandwiches." He said sheepishly.

"That's okay, I can't either."

An awkward silence hung in the air. Corrin sat on the corner of the bed watching her eat in un-committed nibbles. Her glass of water was still half-full.

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to skip dessert tonight. I don't have much of an appetite." She said as she put down the half of her first sandwich and sank her head back onto the pillow.

"Okay. Do you just need to rest?" Corrin asked, concern laden in his voice.

"No I can't sleep, I'm just not very hungry I suppose." She said.

Corrin stood up, unable to ignore the unease in his mind any longer. "Felicia, are you okay? Are you sick? I'm worried about you." He needed to ask, because besides lying in bed all day she didn't display any symptoms of being sick like a cough or a fever.

She didn't bother to hide a sigh. "I'm having a baby, Corrin."

"Well yeah I know that but you've just been in bed for days and I-"

"I'm having a _baby_ , Corrin!" She sat up with a jolt, her face contorted in fury. Her tangled hair was a mess. "You don't understand at all do you? DO YOU?"

He practically jumped. "I… Of course I-! Uh-" Shock robbed him of the ability to formulate words.

"Of course you don't! How could you? You don't have a little person growing inside of you! You don't have a little person living in your belly that could be hurt or killed if you tripped over or fell because you're a stupid klutz!" Tears glistened in her eyes. "If you wanted to know why I won't get out of bed well that's why! You don't want our baby to be hurt, right?!"

He stood his ground. "Well, no! But that doesn't mean I want you to have to suffer too! I don't think lying in bed all day or eating so little is good for you _or_ the baby!"

Felicia was visibly short of breath. Corrin couldn't tell whether she was still angry or sad now. Her eyes still held an intense gaze, and her mouth was strained shut as if resisting another outburst. "Just leave me alone." She finally uttered in a low voice.

"Are you sure-"

"Now." She pointed at the door. "I want some time to myself."

Corrin could feel his face fall. There was no point in contesting that. "…Okay." He gulped. "If you need anything you know where to find me." He trudged slowly and looked at her once more, looking into her seafoam green-eyed glare with his own dejected crimson stare as he closed the door. He was only a few feet from the room when he heard loud muffled sobs coming from inside.

Corrin let out a trembling sigh and stopped for a moment. He hadn't felt so powerless since being held in the northern fortress as a child. He thought of his Yato and Dragonstone that had carried his life through so many battles and how powerful they were, and how useless they were now. Her wailing made him grit his teeth. He could only wait and hope.

He went outside to watch the last of the orange sun recede under the horizon. It was so quiet and peaceful in the Deeprealm. Lying down on the grass in front of their little house, he closed his eyes and imagined what everyone was doing back home. Corrin and Felicia had been in the Deeprealm for months but only a few days had passed in the real world. The fight against the invisible ones was in a lull, so he imagined most of everyone was enjoying what relaxation they could get.

But he couldn't focus on anything else. All he could think about was his wife. Felicia was usually so enthusiastic and peppy even though she was a klutz, but now a genuine smile from her was a rare sight and she spoke , the serenity of the evening air allowed him to relax slightly. He felt the breeze on his face and the gentle rustling of leaves in the distance. But the quiet was short-lived. He heard the front door creak open behind him.

"C-Corrin?" A voice so recently filled with anger now trembled with hesitation. Felicia stood in the doorway. Her tangled light brown bed-hair moved gently in the breeze. Her night gown stretched over belly, heavy with child. Eyes fixed on her feet, Corrin could make out her puffy red cheeks. "I-I…I'm sorry…"

"Felicia!" He rose quickly and went to her. She kept her eyes on the ground. At a loss for what to say, Corrin hugged her.

In his firm embrace she burst into a sob once again. "I'm-I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She sniffled. "I've been so awful! I'm sorry!"

"Honey, it's okay… You haven't been awful at all. It's okay…" He said, stroking her hair. Her emotions were contagious. He started to choke up and his eyelids felt wet. _Stop it! You're supposed to be strong for her!_ He let her shaking sobs run their course on his shoulder.

"I'm just so scared…" She confessed. "I… I don't think I can be a good mother."

"I think..." He started. He felt a tear going down his left cheek. "I think our baby is very lucky to have you as their mother."

"R-really? Do you really think so?"

"Without a doubt. You are the sweetest, hardest working person I know." He couldn't stop his own voice from trembling. "I'm afraid too." He said. "I've been so very afraid, Felicia. It's my fault that I made you mad. I should've said something earlier, but I just kept trying to distract myself from my fear of being a dad by doing housework. Because of that I was ignoring your feelings too, even though I knew that in the back of my mind that you were suffering." He bit his lip. "Can…Can you forgive me, Felicia?"

"No please don't blame yourself!" She cried. "You've worked so hard to take care of me." Felicia pulled away from his shoulder so she could look at his face. His handsome crimson eyes glistened and his cheeks were damp like hers. She brought a finger to his cheek to catch his tears. "It's not like you to cry, milord…" Even now, sometimes she accidentally would let a 'milord' escape her lips when addressing her beloved husband, having served him for so long. He gave her a small smile.

"Do you think I can be a good father?"

Felicia smiled. "You will be the perfect dad, just like you are my perfect husband." She brushed her lips to his cheek. He answered with his own kiss to her forehead. "Hee hee, it feels really nice to get some air for once." She said. "I want to sit on the grass with you."

Corrin held her hand and led her to where he was sitting before. Stars were appearing in the sky. A pleasant tingle ran through him when he felt her lean her head on his shoulder. But she sat back up almost immediately.

"Oh!" She put her hands on her belly and gasped.

A chill ran down Corrin's spine and he became alert. "I-Is it time?" His anxiety was impossible to hide.

"She's kicking!" Felicia said, smiling. "Come here."

She put her hand on the other side of his head and beckoned him down to her stomach. He cocked an eyebrow. "She? What makes you think it's a girl?"

"I just have a hunch. Here, feel."

As he put his ear to her stomach, he felt a light thumping meet his face. Corrin quivered with excitement. "Felicia this is amazing… It's our baby…"

With her child so healthy and enthusiastic already, it gave her a sense of relief. "You know…" She said. "I've been so afraid of this for so long, but right now I feel like I can do this. I may still not be the best maid, but I can be a mother."

Corrin grinned up at her as he rose to his knees. "It's a challenge we'll take on together, just like we always have."

She held his hand and reclined to lie on the grass next to him, watching the moon and stars brighten in the sky. And, with the soothing outside air on her face, Corrin stolidly beside her, a deep sense of warmth she hadn't felt in such a long time cradled her heart.


End file.
